If I had to point out one of the biggest differences between life in Germany, and life at our house in Georgia - it would have to be recycling. My parents have always recycled (at least it seems that way) - so I was well aware of the process. In Georgia, we had no option to recycle. We could have paid a premium to recycle, except with that, I was never really convinced that those items would actually get recycled. Here EVERYTHING is recycled. Honestly it is amazing how little trash people have, and how aware we have become of the trash that we create. Not only does EVERYONE separate glass, cans, paper, plastic, bottles, but they also separate organic waste. Organic would be anything natural that is not cooked (carrot peels, egg shells, the middle of peppers etc.). They even have special bags for dirty diapers! There is no dump to take things to, so everyone must abide by the rules.
Another interesting point is how careful they are with resources. You are not allowed to wash your car at home due to the water waste (you can only go to a car wash where they recycle the water). If you ask for water with a meal (a.k.a. tap water) you will be charged the same price as if you were ordering a soda because it is considered a valuable resource. Atleast 25 percent (that is my estimate anyway) of the roofs have solar panels on them to gain energy from the sun. Windmills are plenitful to gain energy from the wind. It isn't just a few people that have joined the bandwagon, but truly an entire culture that has become environmentally friendly.
What brought this to mind this week, is the fact that this week marks one of the two times each year when all of those items that do not fall into the above categories are placed out onto the sidewalks. They do not have yard sales here, and this is how people get rid of their "stuff." The stuff on the sidewalks ranges from; old furniture, rugs, toys, junk etc, and the city hires a company to go around and collect all of the items to be recycled properly. It is a literal recycling process too, because before the trucks come around, oodles of people walk and drive around looking through the piles of "stuff." Just another interesting difference in cultures!
1 comment:
I would not like it because I am lazy; however, I totally agree with everything. My sister-in-law in Orlando, Fl..... rinses all cans, glass containers and stacks papers, folds cardboard, etc...... It is required in Orange County and containers are provided for residents. You can be fined if you do not recycle. It takes time and effort..... I am surprised that it is not implemented here. Makes sense..... We are a wasteful and greedy nation. Just a fact. gp
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